The site is funded by a small set of clearly labeled revenue mechanisms. We are publishing this page before we monetize at scale so that the rules are on the wall first, and we have to live up to them later.

What pays for the lights

• Affiliate links to books and courses. When a link on this site points to Amazon, Joey Yap Mastery Academy, or another educational source, and you buy something through it, we may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. We label these in the immediate context — usually with the phrase "affiliate link" or "→" next to the link.
• Paid PDF reports. Our $19–$49 annual forecasts and compatibility deep-dives. One-time purchase, no subscription, seven-day refund window.
• Display advertising. If and when we run ads (we currently do not), they will be clearly demarcated and never disguised as editorial.

What does not influence what we publish

• Affiliate partners do not see the content before it goes live. Joey Yap's team has not reviewed our Day Master pages, our compatibility framing, or any other editorial.
• We do not accept paid placement. If a school of Chinese metaphysics, a software company, a course author, or a translator pays us to be mentioned, we will refuse. Our recommendations are based on what we have read and used, not on who pays.
• We do not run sponsored content. No "sponsored Day Master profile." No "in partnership with X."
• Our methodology is not for sale. If a future commercial partner asks us to soften the warning that most calculators silently use the wrong year boundary, we will say no.

Why this matters in our category

Chinese metaphysics has a long history of being monetized via fear, urgency, and false scarcity. We are publishing this disclosure precisely because we want to occupy the opposite corner of the market. If you ever read something on this site that feels like a thinly veiled upsell, please email us — that is a bug, not a feature.

The legal stuff

Eastern Pillars LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We comply with FTC 16 CFR § 255 ("Guides Concerning Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising"). When we are compensated, we disclose. When we have not tested or used a product personally, we say so.

Last reviewed 2026-06-14. If a future version of this page weakens any of the commitments above, that version replaces this one — and the change history will be visible on our methodology page.